LeCrueset

I received a gorgeous satin blue LeCrueset oval casserole for my birthday last year. these babies are cast iron and I have yearned and yearned for one, especially since I have an Aga.

I was afraid to use it. I know just how expensive they are and I just loved looking at it. I was afraid that my sometimes careless (I say creative) cooking style could quite possibly send this exquisite piece of kitchen finery to the rubbish bin. I just couldn't live with myself if that happened.

So this beautiful piece of cookware has sat pride of place in my kitchen but remained unused. Until a few weeks ago. I had an opportunity to use it for a beef stew out of that fabulous cookbook I keep going on about, Apples for Jam.

With much fear and trepidation I got it out and gave it a great big hug. I figured if I ruined it I wanted it to know I loved it. And I wouldn't want to hug it if it was a melted, black, smoldering hunk of metal , would I?

I put it down on the Aga and got busy. It performed exquisitely. The beef stew was gorgeous which I attribute wholeheartedly to the combination of the cookbook and cookware.

And then the cleanup.....ah, the cleanup. After simmering a beef stew for 4 hours I expected I was going to have to put in a substantial amount of elbow grease into the cleaning. And I doubted that my beautiful pan would ever been restored to its new condition.

Ah, but I would be wrong! It practically wiped clean and looks just like it did when I took it out of its box all those 9 months ago.

I have now used it 6 times in 2 weeks. I'm scouring recipe books for recipes that require the use of my pan. I'm even thinking I could make up recipes for it.

My advice to everyone is drop what you are doing and go get yourself one of these exquisite workhorses.

Oh my god, what have I become? I am waxing lyrical about a bloomin' pan. I need to get out more! Maybe karaoke.....